UN ‘deeply concerned’ at Assange’s jail sentence

THE UN has claimed Julian Assange’s prison sentence is “disproportionate”, dismissing his skipping bail as a “minor violation”.

Assange, 47, was holed up in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London for almost seven years – a self-imposed exile that cost the taxpayer £16 million – after taking refuge to avoid extradition to Sweden over sexual assault allegations, which he denies.

The Wikileaks co-founder was dragged from the building by police officers last month after relations between him and the embassy soured, and he was sentenced to 50 weeks in prison for a bail violation.

Now rights experts from the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention have criticised the length of his sentence, which was close to the maximum penalty which can be given for the offence.

The Working Group said in a statement yesterday that it was “disproportionate” and that it was “deeply concerned”, adding that it was “further concerned that Assange has been detained since April 11 in Belmarsh Prison, a high-security prison, as if he were convicted for a serious criminal offence.

“This treatment appears to contravene the principles of necessity and proportionality envisaged by the human rights standards.”

Wikileaks has said Assange spends 23 hours a day in his cell.

The Working Group has previously said that Assange was arbitrarily detained in the Ecuadorian embassy and should have had his liberty restored.

Assange is also fighting an extradition request by the US for questioning over the activities of Wikileaks.